Victims of Fate

No funny word play today, Victims of Fate is the title of book two in my Blades of Leander fantasy series. It starts up where Child of Fate left off…well, sort of. Several months have passed and the characters have grown a bit. Alto has been training hard, Namitus has been getting into trouble, Karthor has been working hard within the church, and Kar has been making snide comments about his son’s religious practices while researching everything he can about the menace that looms in the mountains to the north. That’s a lot of ‘has beens,’ but it’s for a good cause. And that cause is your entertainment!

Circumstance will call these men to service again, although I’ll admit I’m not quite certain how it’s all going to work out yet. I’ve got plans though. Great plans that will take them back to the mountains in the north (and beneath them). They’ll discover amazing things and suffer amazing losses. It’s going to be tough book for them, but one worth the ride. The only thing I still have to figure out is where, and how, the unpredictable troll shaman, Thork, is going to fit into the book.

Last night I began writing it. I stopped at a measly 500 words, content that I’d gotten my foot in the door. After bath time and bed time for the kids I sat down and realized that I had no done an acceptable job of starting the story. So I rewrote it. What was 500 words turned into 2300. I’d have kept going but it was getting late. That’s how the truly great stories work, they pull things out of me that I didn’t know existed. It’s almost like I’m discovering the book at the same time the readers are. And I wouldn’t have it any other way!

In case you can’t tell, I’m excited about it. I was in a bit of low state after finishing Bounty and sending it off for editing. How could I find that much fun and excitement again? I felt burned out and feared I needed some time off to recharge. It turns out I was wrong. Once I started Child of Fate it filled me up with the energy I needed. Once again I live vicariously through the characters! It is a wonderful blessing to be able to live multiple lives. To see things through the eyes of others, even if those others are fictional beings. Writers and readers alike are gifted in that sense, and I can’t wait to share these characters and what they see and feel with the world.

And since Victims of Fate will be two to three months out until it’s available, why not pick up Child of Fate so you can see how it all started?

To learn more about Jason Halstead, visit his website to learn about him, his books, sign up for his newsletter, or check out some free samples of his books at http://www.booksbyjason.com.